RFQ
SFAC Galleries & SF Recreation and Parks: 2024 Artist In Residence Opportunity
Project Overview
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) Galleries is pleased to announce an Artist in Residence (AIR) opportunity in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (RPD). Launched in 2015, the SFAC Artist in Residence Program builds partnerships with City Departments in order to provide unique artist residencies that result in strengthening the value of artists participating in and responding to the advancement of civic dialogue.
The purpose of this RFQ is to identify two San Francisco-based artists to research and engage with the India Basin Waterfront Park Project (900 Innes Avenue) and India Basin Shoreline Park (Hunters Point Blvd & Hawes Street, 950 Galvez Avenue) and communities in the Bayview-Hunters Point (BVHP) neighborhood of San Francisco and then use that research to develop new work(s).
Project partners include RPD, Trust for Public Land, the San Francisco Parks Alliance, and the A. Philip Randolph Institute-San Francisco.
Project Description
In 2014, the Recreation and Park Department acquired 900 Innes at India Basin in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. The park plan combines the existing India Basin Shoreline Park area and the 900 Innes property into the India Basin Waterfront Park, one grand 10-acre waterfront park development that closes a critical gap in the San Francisco Bay Trail. RPD, in partnership with the BVHP community, the Trust for Public Land, the San Francisco Parks Alliance, and A. Philip Randolph Institute, will transform the sites into a 21st-century park in a historic waterfront context, with an emphasis on habitat and wetland restoration and enhancement, public access, resiliency to sea level rise, social equity, and waterfront recreation.
In 2019, an equitable development planning process was initiated to preserve the rich culture, identity, and pride within the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood and to ensure that the India Basin Waterfront Park project uplifts the community beyond its park boundaries. The Equitable Development Plan (EDP) serves as a roadmap to maximize the benefits of the project for the BVHP community and seeks to build a park that reflects the history of India Basin and diverse generations of BVHP residents their untold stories.
The EDP identifies six community-driven areas of focus–Arts, Culture and Identity; Workforce and Business Development; Connectivity, Transit, Access and Safety; Healthy Communities and Ecology; Youth Opportunities; and Housing Security. The Artist in Residence opportunity falls under the Arts, Culture and Identity area of focus which states that park programming is equitable and responsive to community needs and desires and preserves and celebrates Black culture and the neighborhood’s cultural diversity.
PROJECT GOALS
- Support the development and presentation of arts and cultural experiences and programs at and near the park sites.
- Develop and present experiences and programs in partnership with project partners and the BVHP community.
- Ensure that all work produced during the residency is tied to the India Basin Waterfront Park Project Equitable Development Plan (EDP). Link to plan below.
- Preserve and celebrate Black culture and the neighborhood’s cultural diversity.
RESIDENCY TERMS
- The selected Artists will be contracted for 16 hours per week for 12-months and will spend at least one day per week onsite conducting research around the project sites and the BVHP neighborhood.
- The Artists will work directly with the AIR Curator during their time in residence and on the development of their final project.
- Each residency will culminate in the creation of a new project that is responsive to the artist’s experience and research at the RPD project sites and BVHP neighborhood. Final project location will be determined based on proposal needs and availability of location.
- The total honorarium for each Artist is $40,000. Payment will be issued in multiple stages based on set deliverables outlined in the contract.
- The production budget for each Artist is $15,000.
SFAC, RPD, AND THE INDIA BASIN WATERFRONT PLAN LINKS
San Francisco Arts Commission
San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department
India Basin Waterfront Park Project
India Basin Equitable Development Plan
Eligibility
- Applicants must reside in the San Francisco
- We are accepting applications from individual artists only
- This is a call for qualifications, not a call for proposals. Any applications proposing a specific project will be disqualified.
- Application must be completed and submitted by the application deadline. Late submissions will NOT be considered. Incomplete applications or applications that do not follow the guidelines will be disqualified.
Project Timeline
RFQ Issued
May 13, 2024
RFQ Deadline
June 14, 2024 by 5pm
Artist Selection Panel
June 2024
Artist Notification
June 2024
Artist in Residence Period
July 2024-June 2025
Artist Research Phase
July-December 2024
Project Proposals Due
December 2024
Deadline for Resulting Artwork
May 2025
For your reference, information about past artists in residence can be found here:
Selection Process
There are three steps to the Selection Process:
1. Qualification Panel. The applications will be reviewed by SFAC staff to determine if the minimum qualifications are met. See Eligibility section below for minimum qualifications.
2. Review Panel. This list of the eligible applicants will be presented to an Applicant Review Panel consisting of SFAC staff, RPD staff, and BVHP community representatives for review. After considering the applicants qualifications, the Applicant Review Panel will identify finalists to move on the final step in the selection process.
3. Finalist Interviews. SFAC staff will conduct interviews with the finalists identified in the Review Panel.
How To Apply
Applications are available through SlideRoom, an online application system for calls for entry. There is no charge for using SlideRoom. Please be sure to allow adequate time to submit your application as technical difficulties may occur. Applications that are mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered will not be considered.
Applications will not be accepted after the May 31, 2024, 5:00 p.m. deadline.
APPLICATION MATERIALS
Applications should not propose a specific project. Rather, your time during the residency should be used to explore history, subjects, and ideas around the project sites and the BVHP neighborhood.
I. Application Questions
- What specifically interests you about this opportunity? Please address your interest in working at the RPD India Basin Waterfront Park (900 Innes Avenue) and India Basin Shoreline Park (Hunters Point Blvd & Hawes Street, 950 Galvez Avenue) project sites and the BVHP neighborhood.
- Provide your artist statement/artistic focus.
- How has your professional artistic career prepared you for this opportunity? How will you contribute?
- Describe your experience/involvement engaging with culturally and racially diverse communities and/or the BVHP specifically?
- How is this opportunity ideal for you at this time in your career?
II. Resume
Please include exhibitions, performances, publications, fellowships, awards, teaching and all former residencies on your resume. (2 pages max)
III. Previous Work Samples
For each work sample, include the title, medium, year, location, and brief description (50 words max) for each work.
Images
Applicant may submit up to 10 images and a minimum of 7 images (up to 5MB per file)
- Image files must be at least 72 dpi and no larger than 1280 x 1280 pixels
- Jpg, jpeg, png, gif, and tiff file formats accepted
Video
Applicant may submit up to 2 videos (up to 250 MB per file)
- Video files must not exceed 3 minutes total
- Highlight reels and video excerpts are fine
- M4v, mp4, and mov file formats accepted
- You may also submit video links as long as the files have been edited to the exact excerpt(s).
Audio
Applicant may submit up to 3 audio files and a maximum of 10 minutes (up to 30 MB per file)
- Mp3 and wma file formats accepted
Writing
Applicants may submit up to 7 pages total (up to 10 MB per PDF)
- Pages must be double spaced and no less than 12pt font size
- PDF file format only
Combined Submission
For any combined submission, applicant may submit up to 5 images, 1 video (3-minute max), 1 audio file (3-minute max), and up to 4 pages of writing. Please see above for file formats and maximum file sizes.
If you have questions about how to use Slideroom please refer to their Applicant Help Center or email support@slideroom.com. SlideRoom typically respond within 48 business hours.
If you have questions about this RFQ, please contact SFAC Galleries Manager of Education and Public Programs, Maysoun Wazwaz at sfac.galleries@sfgov.org to schedule an appointment. Appointments are 15-minutes max and are only available on Tuesdays between 1:00-4:00 pm.
Partners
